Locomotive cttt-off indicatob



W. E. WOODARD.-

LOCOMOTWE CUT-OFF INDICATOR.

APPLICATION nun m1. 31.1920.

1,433,586, Patented Oct. 31,1922.

WITNESSES y j MTORNEY Patented Get. 31, 1922.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM E. WOODARD, OFLIMA, OHIO.

LOCOMOTIVE CUT-OFF INDICATOR.

Application filed January 31, 1920. "semi No. 355,393.

To alZ'w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. Woon- ARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive Cut-ofi' Indicatorsyof which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to cut-ofi indicator mechanism for locomotives, and it is a continuation in part of my issued patent No. 1,341,961, dated June 1, 1920,entitled"Locomotives and methods ofop'eratin the same. Infthe ope'rationfof stander types of steam locomotives and also locomotives 'such as illustrated in the aforesaid application, the engineman shortens or lengthens the cut-off in accordance with his bestjudgment of the conditions of the fire, steam pressure, speed, etc. There is a well defined and established'rate at which the cutoff should be shortened or lengthened to obtain the maximum power of the locomotive at all times and this can be calculated in advance by a mechanical engineer familiar with the art. It can however only be approximated when the cut-off is lengthened or shortened in accordance with the judgment of the en gineman and the degree of efiiciency obtained is dependent on his skill.

I propose to provide improved means for ositively indicating the point of cut-01f designed to obtain the maximum e'fliciency and in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated various embodiments of m invention in preferred form. Of the rawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a locomotive such as shown in the aforesaid application with my improvements applied thereto; Figure 2 is an enlar ed side eleva tion of the reverse lever of igure 1 with my improvements applied thereto; Figure 3 is a plan view of a detail of my invention; Figure 4 is a plan view of a modification of such detail; Figure 5 is side elevation of a modification of my improvements; Figure 6 is an end elevation of Figure 5 partly in section; Figure 7 is a side elevation of still another modification of my invention; Figure 8 is a side elevation of a 'reverse lever and a speed operated device embodying another modification of my invention; and Fig. 9 is an end elevation of Fig. 8, shown partially in section.

For a detailed description of the locomotive shown in Figure 1 attention is directed to the aforesaid copending application, and ltwill suflice for the purposes of this specification to say that the locomotive is equipped with a forward group of cylinders B and a rear group C, the combined normal maximum horsepowergoutput of which is greater than the boiler capacity in order to utllii'e the 'eircess capacityof the boiler 1n the'zone below the point at which the normal horsepower developedby the leading approximates the boiler capacity. Each gronp'of cylinders is'provided with a valvefrnotionfD, operated by power reverse mechanism,"such mechanism being so arranged that the cut-'ofl's are shortened different ally, that is to say the cut-off for the rear group is shortened 'at' a faster rate than'thecutaofi for the forward group, in such inan iier as to keep the combined horsepoweroutpixt of both ups of cylinders within the boiler capacity at all operating speeds.

The cutoff indicator mechanism comprises a speed operated device such, for example, as a speed indicator E, the shaft 7 of which is driven from an axle or wheel in any preferred manner; the case 8 secured to the quadrant 9 and provided with a plurality of lights 10, such lights being arranged in two rows with the lights of one row staggered with respect to the lights of the other row; the battery 11; and the wiring 12. Any' suitable arrangement of wiring may be employed, but I prefer to have the positive from the battery lead to the pointer 13 of the speed device, the dial of which is provided with a plurality of contacts from each of which a separate wire leads to the respective lights 10 in the case 8, the circuit being completed by the return to the battery. Several of such separate wires are shown in dotted lines in F ig. 2. Where the speed device is an indicator, the dial may he graduated in any preferred manner as for example in increments of five miles per hour, with the contacts located opposite the graduations. When the pointer 13 engages with one of the contacts, the circuit is completed for the respective light and the engineman is apprized thereby to what point he should shift the reverse lever 14. In Figure 4, I have shown the case 8 as being provided with but one row of lights 10.

In the construction shown in Figures 5 and 6, instead of having an electrically on (-ruted signal, I pro vide a pointvn-lfi secured to the shaft 16 of the speed device B so as to rotate therewith The shaft 16 passes through :1 bushing 9 and the reverse lever 1-1 is rotatably car ried on the bushing 17. Theengineinan is apprized by the pointer of the notch to which he should shift his reverse lever, the position of the pointer being dependent upon the speed of the locomotive. y

In the construction shown in Figure 75 the pointer or indicator arrnlfi i s nrranged so as to release the latch 18 of. the reverse lever so that the pointer will shift the lever to the desired notch, if the enginemen should be peglectful. FO lf both the forward and beck motion a ,air of indicator :ar ms or pointers, such as shown inF gure 8, ma. y be employed, by conriect in'g both pointersito ajcommon block 19 'Slideble, in a groone 20, the pointers being iconne'cted to: the. hy the links 21. By this "arrz nge nentimove. rnent is iparte'd to 'the'point'er's like-do; ew but h h ierer d r pt qn- I elainiz i i motiy es eom'prisihg the combination .with a,

reverse lever,

17 carried'hy the quadrant ogi-erating connection between the speed devicee'nd the cut-off indicator, \vherebfsaid indicator automatically,indicates the point to which the lever should be shifted.

2; An automatic cutoff indicator for locon oiires comprising the combination with a reverse lever of a speed operated device. a plurulit 1 of indicator lights adjacent the lever and means whereby the speed device completes the circuit ofsaid lights.

43. :An automatiecut-offiindicatongfor locomotives comprising the combination with e reverse lever and its, quadrant, of a speed oper t d :devioe, a cutofi indina tor adjacent the reverse lever quedrentiend a direct op ei ativeeonneetion between the speed device and the indicator for operatingithe Letter i diee e eh t e. quadr nt, :the leeation: which thelevenshougldbe shifted. 7 1. i 1 A. An automatic cutrofl indicatpr ior loom m n s in-Pr ms t e mmbie iwn in a emm l ee end-it iqee in t. o e indicator; atljecentthe quednent, and means fot automatioally operating. indicutonin e -deu e ith Wmr e i e i ee :ofhe e e re, t te ti't ei mere-at h locationto which theflever d lpe sl'liited.

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